Cougar pride over the opening of UH’s new football stadium has turned sour.  UH administration, long known for taking a bad situation and making it worse, continues that tradition with a disastrous roll out of TDECU Stadium.  The Houston Chronicle reports that numerous problems have plagued the supposed show piece in UH’s attempt to return to intercollegiate athletic relevance.

Five months after Cougars fans cheered its first kickoff, the University of Houston’s $128 million football stadium has drummed up as much anger and recriminations as school spirit. Students are calling for the resignation of a top UH official they contend hired an unqualified contractor to run events there. Audits are underway to investigate stadium funding and the bidding process for the contract in question. And emails  . . . show that the companies responsible for running events have butted heads with administrators.

The disclosures in the emails, which shed light on the contracting process in question, are the latest in a series of concerns that have arisen about TDECU Stadium, which opened last August with great fanfare.  A top UH administrator,  Carl Carlucci, did not heed warnings from a UH attorney and a top athletics official when he signed a five-year contract with the companies last year, the emails show. Carlucci, the executive vice president for administration and finance, runs day-to-day operations at the flagship campus as a key aide to Renu Khator, the president and system chancellor.

Much of the problem centers around  Aramark and VenuWorks, which operate at UH as Sports & Entertainment and now control food and services at the stadium.  Those companies submitted a bid that did not conform with the university’s request for proposals.  This was pointed out by a UH assistant general counsel and an assistant athletics director who both complained that about the VenuWorks proposal.  UH awarded Sports & Entertainment the contract despite the fact that it had never operated a facility larger than 22,000 seats even though TDECU seats more than 45,0000.  The issue boiled over when the UH Band classrooms at the new stadium were vandalized putting Sports & Entertainment on the hot seat as to its management of the $150 million facility.

The Stephenville Empire-Tribune reports unusually tight security at the historic Erath County courthouse in Stephenville as jury selection gets underway in the trial of Eddie Ray Routh.  Routh is accused of murdering Chris Kyle.  Kyle, the former Navy SEAL whose best-selling autobiography was turned into the hit movie “American Sniper” was killed along with his friend Chad Littlefield at local shooting range in February of 2103.

Security was tight Thursday as the first group of potential jurors showed up for a qualifying round in the trial of Eddie Ray Routh.  Routh was stoic throughout the morning, occasionally speaking to his attorney, Shay Isham, reading paperwork and glancing around the courtroom. Those who entered the courthouse were forced to go through metal detectors, open bags for inspection and place digital equipment aside.  Bomb-sniffing dogs were led inside and outside the building throughout the day.

During the first round of qualifications, two were disqualified, three were found to be exempt and nine were excused for various reasons. Six potential jurors said they might be biased toward Routh because of the movie American Sniper or pre-trial publicity.

The Austin American-Statesman reports a brewing controversy over a proposal to bring a 1000 foot temporary water slide to downtown Austin this summer.

A video posted by Kory Watkins of Open Carry Tarrant County has raised hackles on both sides of the open carry debate currently raging in Texas.  In the video, Watkins seems to threaten Texas legislators with death if they commit the treasonous act of refusing to pass unlimited open carry legislation.  Watkins concerns may be highlighted by the fact that he might not be eligible for an open carry permit under one of the proposed bills because of his alledged past criminal record.  The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports:

In the four-minute video, Watkins, 31, says: “We should be demanding these people give us our rights back, or it’s punishable by death. Treason. Do you understand how serious this is, Texas?” The Texas Constitution says a person can be convicted of treason only for waging war or supporting enemies of the state. Watkins tells viewers to do “more than foots in doors.” He was apparently referring to his confrontation with Rep. Alfonso “Poncho” Nevarez at the Texas Capitol on Jan. 13, during which a gun-rights activist put his foot in a door to keep it from closing. Watkins has been a vocal advocate of legislation to allow open carry, something prohibited in Texas almost since the Civil War.

This is what now passes for serious debate in Texas.